OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees rose to $909 in October, up 0.9 per cent from September.

On a year-over-year basis, earnings were up 2.8 per cent. That reflected a number of factors, including wage growth and changes in the composition of employment by industry as well as the average number of hours worked.

The average number of weekly hours worked in October was 33.2 — up from 33.1 in September and 33.0 in October 2011.

Accommodation and food services, construction, retail trade and public administration all saw year-over-year growth above the national average.

For example, average weekly earnings in accommodation and food services totalled $372 in October, up 5.8 per cent from the same month last year.

Average weekly earnings were higher in every province, but the largest wage growth was in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.